Start with totals. Add signed rows to opening balance. Compare to closing. One mismatch means edits or missing pages.
Read the metadata. Ordinary statements show bank software. Canva or Photoshop names mean editing. Stripped metadata means hiding.
Count fonts. Pasted text arrives in a new typeface. Two body fonts across pages is a flag.
Test round numbers and dates. Fabricated rows love 500s and 1,000s. Real memos vary. Out-of-order dates mean insertion.
Match payers, not totals. Real salary repeats with one descriptor. Fake salary changes wording or skips months.
Red flags together decide. Single oddity is review. Math break plus metadata edit is suspicious. Document both before rejecting.